Toronto Dining Guides

Essential Restaurants 2008

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 15:35:24 -0500

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Toronto in Review: 2008 Openings and Closings

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 15:41:32 -0500

[CDATA[The dust has settled on New Years Eve celebrations, your hangover has hopefully subsided, and now it's time to get to reality and start observing your resolutions. We've all made them stop smoking, cut down on your drinking, try to eat healthier and cheaper but it's easier said than done. Over the past year, we've done our best to keep you up to date on the drinking and dining scenes, letting you know which places to check out and which to avoid, so if you're looking to blame anyone (other than yourself) for your thin wallet or your thick waistline, you don't have to look very far. But before you try to turn your life around, let's take a look back at the places that got you there in the first place. It's been a busy year, so get ready for a bumpy ride. ]]

For the Foodies: Out With the Old, In With the New

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 10:32:42 -0500

[CDATA[They say that how you spend New Years Eve is how youll spend the whole upcoming year. Terrified of being stuck in traffic, and of having beer spilt on my head at the bar (again), I chose to stay home this year, doing what I loved best: chatting with my girlfriends, drinking prosecco, and eating. ]]

Chef Teo Paul Dishes on the Months-Delayed Union Restaurant on Ossington

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 15:04:19 -0500

[CDATA[Starting your own restaurant can be an abundantly rewarding experience, but it can also be daunting, frustrating, and harsh. Teo Paul has already learned this lesson the hard way, and his restaurant hasn't even opened yet. The Toronto-born chef has spent the better part of the last decade cooking in a restaurant called Somo in Paris, but he's all set to open his first restaurant. In fact, he's been all set to open it for the last four months. Originally slated for a September opening, Union has been delayed and delayed and delayed some more. ]]

Toronto's Burger Wars: Ketchup, Mustard, and Ruthless Competition

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 16:58:14 -0500

[CDATA[There's something about Toronto that attracts dining trends. It doesn't seem like that long ago that Burrito Boyz opened and Torontonians were crazy over burritos. Just a short time later, it seemed impossible to go out for a non-tapas meal. The dining tide has turned yet again; if all the under-constructions sites are any indication, Toronto is about to be hit with an onslaught of take a deep breath - burger shops. ]]

Toronto Restaurant Buzz: Openings and Closings

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 16:18:40 -0500

[CDATA[When mistletoes annex doorways and Menorahs get lit, bar and restaurant unveilings tend to slow. It's hard to launch a new venture just as wallets empty and people turn to old haunts with long-time friends. Incidentally, it's not hard to slip into the ether. Well, the Toronto restaurant scene is apparently holiday-proof. It's resilient enough to support capitalistic binges and new enterprises. Here's a look at the latest in restaurant and bar openings, as well as a handful of requiems for the recently departed. ]]

Donna Dooher and Kevin Gallagher resurface with Mildred's Temple Kitchen

Thu, 27 Nov 2008 18:20:24 -0500

[CDATA[I wasnt around when Mildred Pierce, Donna Dooher and Kevin Gallaghers former spot, closed in the summer of 2007. I heard about it, though, mostly in the form of despair and mostly about those pancakes. ]]

An Organic Toronto Burger Please

Thu, 27 Nov 2008 13:16:08 -0500

[CDATA[A breed of organic produce has made its home in Torontos West-End. ]]

Vdara to open soon on Queen West

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 15:30:08 -0500

[CDATA[ There are days when you just dont know what you feel like eating. You run down the usual options and come up blank; you dont exactly feel like sushi or Indian, and you just ate Thai for lunch yesterday, and pizza in this town is never thin enough for your taste. So what do you do? ]]

George Brown's Chef's House: Dedication, Passion, Craft

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 15:11:56 -0500

[CDATA[At any point during lunch or dinner on a weekday, you might find a small drama being played out at The Chef's House, George Brown Chef Schools training-ground-slash-restaurant. Students decked out in chefs white jackets, aprons, and hats mill about in the hot kitchen, working quietly or calling out to each other. The tall windows on King Street look into the baking area; the stoves and prep stations are covered by TVs set up both inside the restaurant and outside the building. Its a fully equipped kitchen, a restaurant that runs like any other, but these students are not professionals. They are, however, being treated as such by their teachers, director/corporate chef John Higgins, chef de cuisine Oliver Li, and sous chef Paul Benallick. ]]